'They aren't gowns.'
'Now look what you've done, Jamie. You've got Beak shouting at us.'
Jamie was immediately contrite. 'I'm sorry, Beak, for upsetting you. My, you are nervous today. You keep looking over your shoulder. Do you think someone's going to pounce on you from behind? What in-'
'I missed me nap,' Beak blurted out. 'That's why I'm surly.'
'You must go and have a proper rest, then,' Jamie advised. 'Come along, Mary.
Beak's been so patient with us and I can tell he isn't feeling at all well.'
She took hold of Mary's hand and started toward the door. 'Good God, Mary, they actually do wear women's gowns. I didn't really believe Cholie, but now I'm convinced.'
'I'm running away and that's that,' Mary said, loud enough for Beak to overhear.
She suddenly stopped, then whirled around. 'One last question, please?' she called out.
'Yes, Mary?'
'Would you be knowing if the Scots hate fat women, Beak?'
He didn't have any answer for that absurd question. After he shrugged his shoulders, Mary turned around and chased after Jamie. Both sisters lifted the hems of their skirts and started running toward the upper bailey. Beak let out a soft chuckle as he watched the pair.
'She was given a man's name.'
The stable master nearly jumped out of his tunic. He hadn't heard Alec Kincaid's approach. He turned around and came face to shoulders with the giant warrior. ' 'Twas her mama's way of giving her a place in this family. Baron Jamison weren't the man who fathered Jamie. He claimed her for his own, though. I'll give him that much kindness. Did you get a good look at her, then?' he added in a rush.
Alec nodded.
'You'll be taking her with you, won't you?' The Kincaid stared at the old man a long minute before answering.
'Aye, Beak. I'll be taking her with me.' The choice had been made.
Chapter Three
Jamie didn't find out about the Scotsmen's early arrival until Merlin, the keeper of the pasture cattle, chased her down to tell her there was yet another great commotion going on up at the main house and her papa wanted her to straighten it all out for him.
Merlin failed to mention the Scotsmen in his stuttered announcement. It wasn't his fault, however, for his beautiful mistress had turned her gaze directly upon him just when he was beginning his explanation. Those violet eyes had made him quite awestruck. Then his mistress smiled, causing Merlin's heart to start fluttering like a silly little lady's maid. His mind didn't flutter, though. No, it merely emptied of all thoughts save one: Lady Jamie was giving him her undivided attention.
The stutter only worsened, of course, but it didn't really matter. Jamie couldn't immediately obey the summons anyway. There was an injury that needed her immediate attention. Poor old Silas, his eyesight as weak as his hands, was carrying on something fierce, bellowing loud enough, in fact, to cause the pigs to squeal in protest.
Silas had accidentally sliced his upper arm instead of the side of treated hide he was trying to carve into a saddle lining.
The injury was minor and didn't require searing with a hot knife, yet Jamie still had to spend a good long while soothing the old man after she'd cleaned and wrapped the injury.
He needed pampering, and that was that.
Merlin stood by cook's side during the commotion. He was a little jealous of all the attention Silas was getting from their mistress. He was also extremely anxious because he couldn't seem to remember that other bit of information he'd been ordered to relate to her.
Jamie finally finished her task and left Silas in Cholie's capable hands. She knew the two servants would share at least one jug of ale between them, but didn't think that was too sinful, considering Silas's upset and Cholie's need to give comfort the only way she knew how.
'I can only put out one fire at a time,' she told Merlin when he reminded her of the fuss going on up at the main house. She smiled to soften her rebuke, then left the worried-looking cattle keeper. Jamie ran all the way up the hill, her skirts raised to her knees. Three playful greyhounds ran alongside her. Neither Jamie nor her pets slowed down until they'd rushed through the open door and entered the great hall.
She came to an abrupt halt then. The two warriors leaning casually against the mantel immediately caught her attention.
Jamie was simply too stunned to hide her initial reaction. God's truth, they were the biggest men she'd ever seen. She couldn't quit staring at them.
It was unfortunate, too, for the first words out of her mouth weren't very ladylike. 'Good God!'
It was only a whispered exclamation, strangled out at that, but Jamie could tell by the way the bigger of the two giants raised his right eyebrow that he'd heard her.
She didn't dare curtsy, knowing full well she'd land on her face if she tried.
And she couldn't seem to pull her gaze away from the taller of the two men, either, the one now trying to stare her to her knees.
He was the meanest-looking man she'd ever seen.
She told herself she wasn't afraid. Nay, she was too angry to be frightened.
Jamie stood her ground, meeting the warrior's gaze a long minute until she could regain a little composure, then realized that as long as she continued to stare at him, she'd never be able to accomplish that feat.
Jamie finally noticed the silence that permeated the great hall. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her sisters then. The three of them were lined up like common criminals, looking as if they were about to be executed with arrows.
As soon as Agnes caught Jamie's sympathetic gaze, she started crying. Alice put her arm around her twin's shoulders, obviously intent on offering her solace.
The plan failed, however, and she also burst into tears. Within a blink of the eye, the two of them had worked themselves up into hysteria.
Mary stood next to Agnes. She looked as if she, too, wanted to cry. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and after giving Jamie a 'dear Lord, will you look at them' look, she turned her gaze to the floor.
Something had to be done. The twins couldn't be allowed to disgrace the family in front of the Scots.
'Agnes, Alice, cease your weeping immediately.'
Both sisters mopped at the corners of their eyes and tried to control themselves.
Jamie noticed her father then. He was sitting at the table, pouring himself a drink from one of the two jugs in front of him.
It was up to her to offer a proper, civilized English greeting, she supposed.
She knew what her duty was. Yet the urge to shout at the strangers that they were three whole days early, for God's sake, was very nearly overwhelming.
Duty won out. Besides, the two Scots were probably too dull-witted to realize how uncouth their behavior was.
Jamie slowly walked over to stand directly in front of the two men. She remembered the dogs at her sides when she heard them growling at the strangers, dismissed them with a quick wave of her hand, then made a curtsy befitting her status as mistress of her home. A lock of hair fell over her left eye when she bowed her head, ruining the haughty effect she was trying to achieve. Jamie tossed the hair back over her shoulder and tried to manage a smile.
'I'd like to welcome both of you to our humble home, for no one else seems capable of extending that courtesy,' she began. 'And I do hope you'll forgive our unreadiness to receive you, but if you'll only remember you're a good three days early, you might more easily endure our lack of preparations.'
She stared at their boots while she made that speech, then ventured a quick look up when she added, 'My